Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1887-09-03

They went to Biarritz and hired magnif-
cent villa; with friends they drove to San
Sebastian to see a bull fight, and there met
Lenox Leigh, who had purposely been fol-
lowing them from point to point. He dined
with them and played the role of q mere ac-
auaintance to perfection.
The next day Mr.. Incoul and his friend Mr..
Blydenburgh went over into Spain, intending
to remain over night. Mazda and Lenox
Leigh walked together on the downs and on
the shore below. They sat down on the sand,
and a little girl who was watching cattle saw |
them. After q while she noticed that the |
man was kneeling by his companion, her
head was on his shoulder, her arms were |
about his neck and his mouth was close to |
hers. The little maid smiled knowingly. |
She had seen others in much the same attl- |
tude.
Mr.. Incoul returned at midnight the same
evening. Hotels were not good at Fuente-
rabia He saw, as he glanced up at his wife's
windows, that her rooms were illuminated.
As he pareyed with the driver the lights
were extinguished. The hall was dark when
he entered. He found a match and lit it, and
on the stair met Lenox Leigh. The young
man rubbed his hat as though uncertain what
to do or say. At last he reached the door.
~ am at the Grand, you know" he hazarded.
"Yes, know" Mr.. Incoul answered, land
I hope you are comfortable"
Leigh passed out Mr.. Incoul closed and
boted the door behind him. For a moment
he stood very still Then turning he as
cended the stair.
After breakfast the next morning Mr.. In
cou said to his wife: awe leave for Paris at
this afternoon. l beg you viii see to 1t that
your things are ready"
She steadied herself against chair, and
would have spoken, but he had risen also and
| left the room.
They went to Paris and took a house in the
Pare Monceau. Meanwhile Mr.. Incouls atti
tude to his wife had in no wise altered. He
was silent, methodical and self abnegating as
he had been from the first. They went every
where where the products called amusements
could be obtained for money. Mazda was an
envied bride If she had any lingering doubts
as to the real reason of their return to Paris,
little by little they faded.
She wrote Lenox Leigh decisive note. He
should never enter her life again. She had
faltered but the faltering had at least served
as a lesson which she would never need to
learn again.
She thought of her husband and wondered.
He had done what she had hardly dared to
expect-he had observed their ante-nuptial
agreement to the letter, and he was winning
her affection with infinitely greater speed
than she had ever deemed possible. She col
lected some of the scattered threads and
memories Of their life in common, and it
seemed to her that latterly he had become
even graver and more silent than before.
One evening, when he had seemed partcu-
larly distracted, she bent forward and said,
Harmon, of what are you thinking"
She had never called him by his given name
before. He started and half turned.
"Of YOU" he answered.
But Maida's heart sank She saw that his
eyes were not on hers, that they looked
over and beyond her, as though they followed
the fringes of an escaping dream
,, One evening as Mr. Incoul was going out
Mazda, with delicate cares, gently gave
} bin to understand that his days Of probation
were over. But in his eyes there was no an
swering affection-only a look which a man
might give who wins u long contested game
of chess
~. I-"o-l was to have another triumph
that night. 1t was Sunday evening. He
went to a club and there disgraced Lenox
Leigh by managing to make it appear that
: Leigh had dealt marked cards
Mr. Incoul came home and sought his wife,
She met him with smile of welcome: but
something in his face froze the smile and
senced the words on her lips He seated
himself before her and began the history of
their meeting, wooing, wedding and life to-
gether in slow, torturing words. He con-
cluded with these words "And you, for all
your frankness, omitted to tell me the one
thing essential; you omitted to tell me-
"Do not say it," the girl walled; "do moi
say it." The tears were falling, her form
| .Ixo he no y1;f h.
fore him who knew not what pity was.
He had risen and she crouched as though
she feared he had risen to strike her.
-"of your lover, whom caught o-night
cheating at cards"
She stared at him vacantly, as though un
} certain of the import of his words.
"Of your lover" he repeated; "the black
leg"
Still looking him in the face, she said husk
r ily: "You tell me Lenox Leigh cheated a,
cards2 1t is not true"
? ale is your lover. then" Kissed Incoul, ant
into his green, dilated eyes there came lool
of such hideous hate that the girl shranl
4 back In her fear she held out her arms Al
= though to shield herself from him, ane
a screamed aloud: "You are going to kill me ?
'Be quiet" he answered, you will wax
o the house."
S She fell backwards on the lounge Pres
4 entity she moaned, her eyes opened, and he
i soDs broke out afresh. He poured some bro
i miie Of potassium in glass, half filed i
Il with water, and dered her to drink it. Sh
4 obeyed dumbly. The tears fell into the glas
q as she drank Her head fell back on the sofa
>, her hair dropped about her shoulders, her lip
were gray.
Mr. Incoul took her in his arms and lai'
v her on the bed. He Strengthened the disorde
It of the room. Then he turned out the gas
r On each Of the fixtures his fingers rested tb
q fraction of a minute longer than was neces
4 sary. He CROPPED to the door, opened
= noiselessly and listened. There was no sound
The house was still as tomb. He closed tn
Is door behind him, and drawing naneless in
strument from his pocket he inserted it care
l. fully in the keyhole, gave it q quick tur
n and went to his room.
a Mr.. Incoul's friend, Mr.. Blydenburgh. wa
- accosted OH the street the next morning b.
= Mr.. Wainwaring:
:; "You have heard, have you not, about Mr..
d Incoul"
If Heard whatT
% dit appears that on going to bed on Sur
day night she turned the gas on instead Il
NJ turning it Off They smelled the gas in th
~ hall and tried to get into the room, but tn
door was locked; finally they broke it dowr
They found her unconscious, though sti
| kod har f,r A.